You may earn a maximum of 3 points toward your final grade by doing the above and answering the questions and submitting them ontime (no later than Friday, September 22). Any worksheets submitted after the deadline will get a 0.
You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammer and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
Note: The dramatic action in this play does not flow in the same manner as that in Trifles, Wedding Band, Real Women Have Curves, and Split Second. For one thing, Mann has built her play around interviews with individuals who lived thru the incidents depicted in the play, such as friends of Milk, reporters who covered the trial, even jurors who spoke out after the trial was over. This approach to the construction of a play is unique and often challenging to readers. It generally works well on the stage but not so well in the study. We see another playwright use this technique with very different results in Fires in the Mirror. So, the questions posed about the construction of the play do not easily follow Ball’s method of analysis.
1. You may identify the stasis in the play but it isn’t necessarily at the beginning of the play. Where is it and who does it involve?
The play takes place in a courtroom and consists of constant recounts of past events. The man on trial for murder is Dan White. He was accused of murdering fellow politicians Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone. White's trial looks to be favored against him since the prosecuting attorney Thomas Norman has many witnesses and a lot of evidence against him.
2. Ball points out that the intrusion sometimes occurs late in the dramatic action. What is the intrusion that breaks the stasis in Execution of Justice and how is it broken?
I believe the intrusion of this play occurs near the end when the majority of evidence was stacked against Mr. White. At this point White's friend, inspector Falzone, brings forward White's confession tape.. This is the point where the jury seems to almost flip sides, and the real dramatic action occurs.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor that is out of theordinary that causes a turn of events to take place? Hint: what is the heart of the play? How does the title figure in this?
The unique factor of this play is the murder of Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone by the hands of Dan White. This allowed the court case to occur, and created all of the drama in the play. The title Execution of Justice is based on how the reader looks at Dan White's killings, and whether he should be charged.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Will Dan White be brought to justice, and prosecuted fairly?
Were the jurors fair in the prosecution?
How much jail time will White receive?
5. Use the two lawyers to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what these particular characters wants. The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles facing each of the lawyers.
Norman and Schmidt, the two lawyers, act well mannered and professional as you'd expect. The lawyers have differing techniques, though. Norman makes a case for the common people, while Schmidt makes a case for a seemingly troubled man, Dan White. This brings in the conflict of me vs myself and me vs society for Mr. White, and the jurors. In terms of conflict within the lawyers, they are fighting the same obstacles as Mr. White. By this I mean that by defending or prosecuting this man, each man has to decide to act in terms of justice for the people, or for their own personal career. They also have to decide for themselves what justice would mean in this case.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Execution of Justice.
The verdict would have to be the most theatrical moment in this play. This is where the entire courtroom explodes with emotion. Some are happy and relieved, leaving many to be angry and frustrated at the system. This dramatic moment ties into the title, in that justice for some is not justice for all, and the idea of justice depends completely on each individual person.
You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammer and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
Note: The dramatic action in this play does not flow in the same manner as that in Trifles, Wedding Band, Real Women Have Curves, and Split Second. For one thing, Mann has built her play around interviews with individuals who lived thru the incidents depicted in the play, such as friends of Milk, reporters who covered the trial, even jurors who spoke out after the trial was over. This approach to the construction of a play is unique and often challenging to readers. It generally works well on the stage but not so well in the study. We see another playwright use this technique with very different results in Fires in the Mirror. So, the questions posed about the construction of the play do not easily follow Ball’s method of analysis.
1. You may identify the stasis in the play but it isn’t necessarily at the beginning of the play. Where is it and who does it involve?
The play takes place in a courtroom and consists of constant recounts of past events. The man on trial for murder is Dan White. He was accused of murdering fellow politicians Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone. White's trial looks to be favored against him since the prosecuting attorney Thomas Norman has many witnesses and a lot of evidence against him.
2. Ball points out that the intrusion sometimes occurs late in the dramatic action. What is the intrusion that breaks the stasis in Execution of Justice and how is it broken?
I believe the intrusion of this play occurs near the end when the majority of evidence was stacked against Mr. White. At this point White's friend, inspector Falzone, brings forward White's confession tape.. This is the point where the jury seems to almost flip sides, and the real dramatic action occurs.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor that is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place? Hint: what is the heart of the play? How does the title figure in this?
The unique factor of this play is the murder of Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone by the hands of Dan White. This allowed the court case to occur, and created all of the drama in the play. The title Execution of Justice is based on how the reader looks at Dan White's killings, and whether he should be charged.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Will Dan White be brought to justice, and prosecuted fairly?
Were the jurors fair in the prosecution?
How much jail time will White receive?
5. Use the two lawyers to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what these particular characters wants. The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles facing each of the lawyers.
Norman and Schmidt, the two lawyers, act well mannered and professional as you'd expect. The lawyers have differing techniques, though. Norman makes a case for the common people, while Schmidt makes a case for a seemingly troubled man, Dan White. This brings in the conflict of me vs myself and me vs society for Mr. White, and the jurors. In terms of conflict within the lawyers, they are fighting the same obstacles as Mr. White. By this I mean that by defending or prosecuting this man, each man has to decide to act in terms of justice for the people, or for their own personal career. They also have to decide for themselves what justice would mean in this case.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Execution of Justice.
The verdict would have to be the most theatrical moment in this play. This is where the entire courtroom explodes with emotion. Some are happy and relieved, leaving many to be angry and frustrated at the system. This dramatic moment ties into the title, in that justice for some is not justice for all, and the idea of justice depends completely on each individual person.